First Drive: 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray

Just when you build the most advanced production Corvette yet, some guy on Facebook sacks the whole thing because he says the rear end looks like a Camaro. Then, a hundred lemmings pile on, adding that 460 hp isn't that good.

2/12An amazing car: It transforms the cornering skills of any driver, runs 12 flat in the quarter, carries every creature comfort, and boasts the best mpg of any car with anything close to 450 hp.

Such are the battles the 2014 Corvette Stingray team must fight. One: Ensure the performance is flagship-worthy and unassailable by reasonable people and car journalists. Two: Make sure it looks cool enough to market to people who will never use the performance and just want the image. Then there's the new biggie, the elephant in the boardroom, the one challenge with an outcome that could determine the long-distant future of the brand: Overcome the stigma of today's Corvette demographic, folks who were 20 in 1970 when they first lusted for a '70 Corvette with an LT1 engine. Will those boomers go Pavlovian for a new version called a Stingray (for the first time since 1976) and with an engine named LT1? Sure. But if those familiar, fuzzy-feeling monikers are attached to a car that's radically redesigned to appeal to gen-whatever—the nebulous group of hip, younger buyers—will the old guys still go for it? More important, can that same Corvette appeal to the gen-whatevers who are really lusting for a $100,000 Nissan GT-R?

In June 2013, we were invited to GM's Milford Proving Ground to drive and ogle the cars and seek answers.

Unassailable Performance
The Corvette of the past few generations has represented the most amazing performance per dollar of any car, provided your version of performance includes bends in the road, and the 2014 model takes that up a few steps. Disconcerting for us traditionalists, much of the car's prowess is achieved through electronics, but we credit the engineers for knowing us: Every single electronic driving aid can be turned off—completely. After a day in the seat, we're not sure we want to. In fact, we'll address these electronic aids first, because they are newer to us than the power and mechanical data.

3/12All of the removable roof panels are now made of carbon fiber (as is the hood). The roofs are seen here in the three optional versions: The white car is all painted, the red one is all fiber, and the silver one demonstrates the bare carbon center with the painted outer rails. Surprising ourselves, we fell in love with the white car with the black trim items and red interior.

The array of driving modes and options within the modes threaten to remain baffling, but after an hour of fiddling with them, you get comfortable with it. The first part of this will be familiar to owners of recent Corvettes, since a knob on the console is still used to select one of five drive modes: 1) Weather, for slippery roads, with max traction and throttle limitations. 2) Eco, which is the only setting where Active Fuel Management is allowed to reduce the engine to four cylinders in some conditions to improve fuel economy. 3) Tour, which is the default setting when the car is started. This differs from Eco only in that the engine is not allowed into four-cylinder mode, and if the optional dual-mode exhaust system is on the car, Tour allows it to go into a more aggressive-sounding setting. 4) Sport, wherein a number of parameters become more performance-oriented: steering feel, throttle snappiness, auto-trans shift characteristics, dual-mode exhaust settings, and suspension firmness. Within Sport, a Competition setting is allowed for the Electronic Stability Control (ESC), which uses individual-wheel braking intervention, among other things, to control yaw. The Competition option allows more slip angle. The Sport mode also changes the dash display. 5) Track, the most serious performance mode, with further changes to the steering, shifting, exhaust, Magnetic Ride, traction control, and dash display. This mode is truly designed for road-race action and allows five stages of Performance Traction Management (PTM), depending on the skill of the driver. All the PTM settings are designed to allow the driver to mat the accelerator pedal on corner exit, and the computer looks at speed, steering angle and rate, wheel speed, and other parameters to allow maximum acceleration. Wet is the best setting for a new driver because it has the strictest limits on slip angle and wheelspin. Dry and Sport 1 are the next steps up in allowing the driver more liberty. Sport 2 starts to get very serious, since the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is abandoned. Race is for professional drivers; it has no ESC and allows maximum slip angle while still providing control of the corner exit in a manner that's said to improve the lap times of even the best drivers. Race also has a Launch Control feature for drag-type standing-start acceleration; just mat the throttle and dump the clutch, and the car modulates the rear-wheel traction.

All of the above is similar to what's been available on recent Corvettes and others, but there are two new tools in the box: a Tire Temperature System (TTS) and an Electronic Limited-Slip Differential (eLSD). These amazed us.

4/12All of the removable roof panels are now made of carbon fiber (as is the hood). The roofs are seen here in the three optional versions: The white car is all painted, the red one is all fiber, and the silver one demonstrates the bare carbon center with the painted outer rails. Surprising ourselves, we fell in love with the white car with the black trim items and red interior.

The TTS models read temperature based on true readings near the federally mandated Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) sensor. The tire tread temperatures are used to control the outputs of the ESC, PTM, and ABS to make even more discrete electronic adjustments to driving performance. Tread at less than 45 degrees F is considered to have 70 percent of their tractive ability, between 45 and 115 degrees assumes 90 percent grip, and temps more than 115 assume 100 percent of the tires' abilities. GM believes this is the first system to use tire-tread temperatures to modify chassis controls.

The eLSD is similar to what's been seen in other high-end cars, but it is new to the Corvette and is used with the Z51 performance package. Encased within the centersection of the IRS is not only the ring-and- pinion, but also a hydraulic clutch system, somewhat similar to the clutch packs in an automatic transmission, actively controlled by an external electric-over-hydraulic pump. This isn't an on/off limited-slip, but a continuously variable coupling that's directed by an onboard computer to adjust differential wheel speeds based on yaw rate, lateral and longitudinal acceleration, steering angle, engine torque, and tire temperature. It works miracles in ways we didn't expect.

Another new driving aid is Rev Match for the manual-trans cars. When activated, it eliminates heel/toe downshifting on a road course. Instead of the driver needing to blip the throttle while braking to match the engine speed with the rear-wheel speed to accomplish a smooth downshift, a sensor in the shifter anticipates the downshift and directs the computer to exactly match the engine rpm to the wheel speed in the next-lower gear so the shift can be accomplished without upsetting the car.

5/12The Rev Match buttons are repurposed paddle shifters from the cars with the six-speed automatic transaxle. Rev Match was our favorite feature of the whole car.

And now the info you expected HOT ROD to deliver first: the engine stuff. The so-called LT1—not to be confused with the '70 Gen I small-block or the '92–'97 Gen II version of the same names—is a newly designed, Gen V small-block V8 that's most notable as GM's first gasoline V8 featuring direct injection, which is a diesel-like system that injects the fuel into the combustion chamber rather than into the intake tract. There are a number of benefits to this system, most revolving around the computer's ability to alter the timing and amount of the fuel delivery based upon a nearly infinite array of engine conditions; it can even start, stop, and restart fuel flow to the cylinder during a single stroke of the piston. Direct injection also allows significantly increased compression ratios. The Gen V LT1 also features Variable Valve Timing (VVT) and cylinder deactivation (Active Fuel Management, AFM) in both manual- and auto-trans applications; current Camaro LS3 engines only use those features with the auto trans, hence the clarification.

The engine is rated at 460 hp at 6,000 rpm and 465 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm (5 counts less for both specs without dual-mode exhaust), making it the most powerful base Corvette engine yet. We spoke to several aftermarket tuners who feel it will be easy to hop up to 600 hp very soon. We expect those improvements to come from boost, because it's going to be very costly to tool up for aftermarket cylinder heads, and the possible improvements to the camshaft are unknown. The stock exhaust may not even be restrictive enough to offer gains with aftermarket parts. The biggest challenge to any of these potential mods is learning the computer tuning. Both Lingenfelter Performance and Redline Motorsports tell us they have cracked the computer code, but getting into it is just one step—the next is learning to tune it. We suspect Lingenfelter is a step ahead on that based on past experience with boosted DI V6 cars. The next huge obstacle for all the aftermarket tuners will be figuring out how to deliver more fuel to make boosted horsepower. The direct-injection system operates at more than 2,000 psi, and the mechanical fuel pump does not have a lot of headroom beyond OE power production. It's going to be very interesting to watch how the aftermarket plays out on the LT1.

6/12The engine wears the typical modern cover-up, but we’re more concerned with how we’re going to hop it up than how it looks, and the direct injection makes that a challenge. This base 6.2L makes 455 to 460 hp, depending on exhaust, but we can’t imagine that Chevy doesn’t have an array of Z06, Grand Sport, and ZR1 models in the works. Note that the radiator is leaned forward, not back, as with the last generation. The airflow through the radiator exits the vent in the hood, improving downforce.

In the Seat
It's been popular for auto scribes to whine about the quality of Corvette interiors ever since, oh, the '84 introduction of the C4, but the complaints have been particularly loud since the '05 C6 launch. Chevy addressed it head-on, as the in-cab experience of the C7 is hard to critique, with nice attention to surface textures in most areas, and improved fit and finish. It's also highly customizable, with two seat options (base GT and the more racy Competition Sports seat), several choices of colors and two-tones, and packages for carbon-fiber or microsuede-like panels. But it says on our business card that it's our job to find ways to criticize, so here it is: We find the computerized dash display annoying because it's not quite in focus, and the simulated tach needle is jumpy rather than smooth. That said, temper our opinion with the knowledge that we also don't like the touchscreen audio/info center. In any car. We're looking forward to the day those go the way of the eight-track, and they can take engine start/stop pushbuttons with them. The rest of the controls are friendly.

7/12Like the outside of the ’14 Stingray, the design is distinctly Corvette but so much different than before. In the interior, the difference is largely in surface texture, color, and fit and finish. Two kinds of seats are offered, base and competition, and both have magnesium frames.

We ran quarter-mile testing at the Proving Ground on stock tires and a nonprepped surface, taking measurements with Motor Trend's VBox GPS-based data recorder. Interestingly, our progressive times and ultimate e.t.'s were all within hundredths of a second to identical to those as tested by Motor Trend's Frank Markus, lap after lap. So the car's easy to drive and easy to bangshift with the No Lift Shift programming. We both discovered it was fairly easy to cut better 60-foot times on our own, without the help of launch control. Accounting for 12 inches of rollout, the VBox said we ran an observed 12.28 at 117.21 mph. Weather correction brought that to 12.12 at 119, right in line with Chevrolet's claims. Our observed zero-to-60 time was 3.99.

Our biggest eye opener was a demonstration in which we were put into the C6 that was used as the development mule for the eLSD. It was set with the rearend behaving like a fixed limited-slip, and then we drove a C7 with a fully active eLSD but with ESC deactivated. The test was a 60-mph cruise followed by a simultaneous snap lift and 45 degrees of steering-wheel angle. With the limited-slip, the car spun out. With the eLSD, we had control, since the computer was able to essentially open the diff to allow the tires to more easily turn at different rates, reducing the loss of traction. We'd previously grocked the benefits of the eLSD in corner-exit situations but hadn't understood the impact it could have in decel situations. It was a big wow.

Furthering the awe, Chevy put us on its autocross course and let us get comfortable with a number of the car's performance driving modes, getting us to relearn autocross driving with the Rev Match engaged for no heel-toe downshifting and the PTM active, so we could go to WOT, where no sane man has gone to WOT before, and the car would control corner-exit stability. We could almost get through a four-cone slalom at WOT—or at least with our foot on the floor, since the electronic throttle certainly did not have the throttle-blade angle at 90 degrees. The computer controls cannot change the laws of physics, so you can still get in plenty of trouble. We found out exactly how much trouble when all the electronic assistance was shut off, and we could barely keep the nose pointed downstream. We want to believe that we're better drivers than any computer. It's just not true. We're barely as good as the Sport 1 setting. You can look at the Corvette's computer one of two ways: It either gives you faster lap times or it keeps you from getting stupid. Probably both.

8/12Every vent doohickey on the body serves a legit purpose. Those atop the quarter-panels lead air to fluid coolers, and then out through slats next to the taillights. All these black inserts are slightly metallic.

We discovered the same robotic success on the Milford Road Course, a challenging track that GM uses for development. We were once again blown away by the Rev Match feature without having to heel/toe for downshifts, muscle memory made it hard to rethink how to trail brake. If you owned a Corvette and got used to these newfangled driving techniques, you'd be a corner killer in no time. It's really amazing. But since it's our duty to complain about something, here it is: The in-car track lap timer has to be manually reset with a button each time you cross the start/finish line. It's hard to be repeatable, so the numbers don't mean much. A car at this level should have GPS timing, says the guy who mostly drives cars that have carburetors.

We drove on the track with the Z51 handling-package cars and then cruised the streets in a $52,000 base-level car. The major revelation there is that the Rev Match is also awesome in traffic. This is a feature we need in the aftermarket.

9/12One of the indicators of the Z51 package is this spoiler, extensively proven in the wind tunnel. It’s possible the base cars will post a higher top speed, but the Z51s have many aero stability improvements. The Z51 will be about $3,000, well worth it for the upgraded body, wheels, suspension, dry-sump oiling, additional fluid cooling, and eLSD diff.

Assailable Appearance
A straw poll of HOT ROD readers says that most don't like the way this new car looks. Perhaps it's just fear of change, but they're rather vehement about it. This I mentioned to Angus MacKenzie, former editor in chief of Motor Trend, who quipped, "Good, it's about time Corvette was controversial." Indeed, even we have trouble spotting a C5 versus a C6 at a glance. The latter car's lack of popup headlights aside, they're just not distinctive. The C7, meanwhile, is risky, with a design that V.P. of Styling Ed Welburn describes as "far more international." Does that mean, "far more Ferrari?" It's longer, wider, and lower than the previous edition. There are a whole lot of cuts in the body, the wide-mouth grille makes the red cars look like Lightning McQueen, and the cheese was snatched from the Corvette diehards with the taillight revision and the first-ever addition of B-pillars and quarter-windows.

10/12The wheel options are black and silver, as shown, and we understand that chrome will also be available. These are both Z51-package wheels, which are 20x10 in the rear and 19x8.5 in the front, an increase from the base car’s 19x10 and 18x8.5 wheels. The Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires went under extensive development for use on the C7.

Yet it's instantly recognizable as a Corvette, and one of the designers asked, "Do you think we went far enough?" when we discussed the car's appeal within that coveted younger demo. We challenged Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter with our opinion that the Stingray and LT1 names are overt shout-outs to the older buyers, and he countered that market research showed that younger folks didn't know those names—Stingray as a badge went away after '76, long before many of the hip generation were born—and that they resonated as cool even without prior context. Yet, interestingly, the 2014 Stingray does not say Stingray on it anywhere but on a small badge in front of the shifter, and that changes for the special-order cars. It's just got the fish on the sides.

As for us, we feel the cars look better in person than in the photos we'd seen prior, and they change radically depending on color: The metallics highlight the myriad body lines, and the light solids tend to smooth them out. The selections of wheel and roof finishes also alter the vibe from car to car. The textures of the slightly metallic black trim and the nature of the various interior surfaces just don't read in print or on the screen, but they add a lot in person. All that really matters is what you think. Go ahead and tell us by emailing HOTROD@hotrod.com.

11/12These are both Z51-package wheels, which are 20x10 in the rear and 19x8.5 in the front, an increase from the base car’s 19x10 and 18x8.5 wheels. The Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires went under extensive development for use on the C7.

And, hey, you—Facebook guy; the taillights really don't look like a Camaro's. If you don't like them, that's fine. From your vantage point, they'll get smaller very quickly, anyway.

Opinion from the Architect of the '63 Sting Ray
Peter Brock was a mere youth in 1957 when, as a designer in GM Styling, he sketched the basic shape of what would become the '63 Corvette Sting Ray, a design that lasted through '67. Of course, other folks were involved in polishing the concept—most notably, Larry Shinoda—and you can get the deepest-yet account of the development of the car in a book that will be available right as this magazine goes on sale. Corvette Sting Ray: Genesis of an American Icon by Brock himself includes behind-the-scenes details of working with the likes of Harley Earl, Bill Mitchell, Ed Cole, and Zora Arkus-Duntov, and there's a forward by Ed Welburn, today's V.P. of Global Design for GM. You can get the printed-in-USA book through www.bre2.net for $69.95.

12/12All of the removable roof panels are now made of carbon fiber (as is the hood). The roofs are seen here in the three optional versions: The white car is all painted, the red one is all fiber, and the silver one demonstrates the bare carbon center with the painted outer rails. Surprising ourselves, we fell in love with the white car with the black trim items and red interior.

We caught up with Brock and asked him for opinions on the new car and the origin and rebirth of the Sting Ray (Stingray) name.

"I think it's the first really new exciting Corvette since Mitchell directed the design of the '63. The big difference is that this time everything on or about the car is real! No more phony slots, scoops, and vents. Everything that has been learned by the Pratt and Miller team in years of competition has been directly applied. I think the overall exterior design is excellent, giving the Corvette a new fresh look that is not only handsome but aerodynamically efficient—something that was sadly lacking on both the '59 prototype XP87 Stingray ‘Racer' and the production '63 and even the [original] Grand Sport.

"I think negative opinions will change once naysayers actually see the car. The taillights, for example, have come under criticism as ‘too Camaro,' but when you study them closely they are jewel-like with great depth—really ‘today' in lighting.

"As for the origin of the Sting Ray name, it really started out as Stingray on the sides of [GM V.P. of Styling] Bill Mitchell's ‘Racer.' He'd built the car in secret against the AMA mandate of 1957 that all performance activity should be curtailed. When it was finally discovered, he was allowed to run the car but with no Chevrolet or Corvette identification. He came up with the Stingray name, which was affixed to the sides of the car. It ran that way until 1961, when GM management realized the value of what he'd done and the decision had already been made to allow the Corvette to continue, so at Riverside that year, the ‘Racer' appeared with both Chevrolet and Sting Ray on the car. Ed Welburn decided to resurrect the Stingray nomenclature for the C7, in honor of what the Mitchell did back in 1957, saving the Corvette from extinction."

Chevrolet's Performance Claims

0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds.

Quarter-mile of 12.0 at 119 mph (this is with either the manual or auto trans, and the automatic is said to sometimes be quicker).

60-0 braking in 107 feet (the current C6 Grand Sport does it in 112 feet, and it has larger tires).

Max lateral g, 1.03.

EPA-estimated 29 mph highway (this is an average of driving in the car's Eco mode with cylinder deactivation and in its regular mode of full-time V8).

A C7 convertible is said to have 20 percent more torsional stiffness than a C6 hardtop. Convertible to convertible, the C7 is 57 percent stiffer than the C6.